Sunday, August 31, 2014

We now have the first test for NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell's new stance on domestic violence...

San Francisco 49ers DL Ray McDonald is out on $25,000 bail after being charged with felony domestic violence in an overnight incident with his (apparently) pregnant girlfriend. The case is now going to the Santa Clara County DA's Office.

Here's the latest on the newest incident that confirms nothing good ever happens after 1AM or so...

San Francisco 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke released a statement:

"The 49ers organization is aware of the recent reports regarding Ray McDonald and we take such matters seriously. As we continue to gather the facts, we will reserve further comment."

But the most interesting piece of irony seems to be that McDonald was arrested in the same house that now-suspended DE Aldon Smith allegedly partied before getting arrested on DUI charges last month after getting into an accident.

A high school football game between Garfield Heights and Collinwood (OH) was called because of a fight that started either in one of two places: after a cheap shot on the field and escalated on the field, or something that started in the stands and ended on the field with that outburst...

Newsnet5 in Cleveland found this video
((HT:andygarhts5455))

Initially, five people were arrested but two were released after the first hours in the investigation.

Here's (believe it or not) chopper video of the moment the fight happened...

And the update

Garfield Heights (OH) City Schools released this statement: “Because the safety and security of every person who attends co-curricular activities at the Garfield Heights City Schools is of the utmost importance, district officials, game officials and security personnel made the decision to cancel the game instantaneously. Local officials took appropriate action, and the community can rest assured knowing that those students of the Garfield Heights City Schools who were involved will be swiftly and appropriately dealt with by the district.”

You don't often see or hear about a college football game being rained out.

Yet that is exactly what happened Saturday night in Gainesville, Florida.

The Florida Gators season opener vs. Idaho was delayed for 3-plus hours Saturday night before officials and the teams decided to cancel it. The Gainesville area was pummeled with heavy rain, lightning and thunder most of the evening Saturday. The Gators had requested the later kickoff to try and avoid the heat, instead, they had to deal with the late afternoon and evening thunderstorms that always crop up in the Sunshine State.

Mind you they did TRY to play, at one point the did the opening kickoff, but more lightning and rain chased the teams and fans out of the stadium.

No word yet on when...or if the game will be rescheduled, apparently both teams have Oct. 25th as an open date, the question is, does either team want to play.

Our guess is they will have to play that day. Ultimately, they'll need to have that 12th game to make everything official with the NCAA. Rather than being snarky and saying it won't matter or UF may need it to be bowl eligible, we'll just have to wait and see what they decide to do after a good nights sleep.

We have no idea who thought knocking down a concrete wall with a sledgehammer to initiate the team running out on the field would be cool.

Because all it did was make Eastern Michigan University the butt of an endless parade of jokes.

Check out what happens when the Eagles try to "Break Down the Wall" and run out onto the field.

Sure, they eventually did it...sort of. But in that time, the student section had pizza delivered, the alumni drove home and came back and the guys broadcasting the game did their halftime report early (ok, so maybe that's not so funny, it's early on a Sunday morning)....

We should add maybe it worked, albeit unintentionally since the Eagles beat Morgan State 31-28.

Anyway, here's your video which unfortunately has the god-awful ESPN like music on it. We'd really like to hear the nat sound or broadcast version instead...

It was a struggle but the Washington Huskies prevailed barely over Hawaii 17-16 in Chris Petersen's head coaching debut at U-Dub.

Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL
“Our guys played hard." Petersen said. "I think there were some good individual plays. Certainly as a team we didn’t play nearly like I think we can play. I think it’s going to be a big wake up call. It’s just hard to win games against anybody.”

The Rainbow Warriors jumped on the Dawgs for 10 unanswered points before Washington's offense began to wake up when John Ross scored on the ground for 20 yards in the first quarter and catching a pass from quarterback Jeff Lindquist for 91 yards.

Washington took a 17-10 lead at halftime and then didn't score again.

Hawaii added a pair of field goals but the rally feel short.

“I just feel like our whole team played too tight." Petersen said. "We got off to a bad start and we were playing not to lose. At times, our defense would get into a rhythm, do some good things and our offense wouldn’t do anything. It started to snowball a little bit.”

“We had our chances, both offensively and defensively." Hawaii head coach Norm Chow said. "We need to get better, and we need to be a better football club.”

The opening game in college football is always a crap shoot. No pre-season, no scrimmages against another team. You start in the heat of battle.

Florida State was invincible last year on their way to a BCS national championship but 2014 is another story.

An inspired Oklahoma State team gave the Seminoles all they could handle but FSU prevailed 37-31.

Florida State is still a work in progress and that's not necessarily a bad thing when you can overcome adversity.

"We understand how to win games, and we're doing a good job" Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said. ." I'm proud of them for doing that."

"Oklahoma State was outstanding out there." Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston said. "You know, they played hard. They never gave up. They never gave up."

“This team won’t back down from anybody,” Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said.

And the Pokes didn't back down on the Seminoles.

Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh was outstanding throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown and leading the Cowboys is rushing with 51 yards.

Most importantly Oklahoma State didn't fold in the spotlight on national TV after spotting Florida State with 17 unanswered points early in the game.

“We feel good about where we’re at,” Walsh said. “We’re upset about the loss, but going into film tomorrow, there’s going to be a lot of good things to build on.”

"I thought they (Oklahoma State) did a heck of a job." Fisher said. " I told you Mike has a got a good football team, and he's a heck of a football coach."

Jameis Winston finished the game completing 25 of 40 passes for 370 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. They weren't the gaudy numbers Winston put up in his season opener last year at Pittsburgh but his 28 yard touchdown run late in the third quarter will be stored in the memory banks.

It was also the longest run in Winston's career.

With the college football playoff a reality this is the first example of survive and advance in college football.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

This is flat out scary from Friday night's practice at the Fontana Speedway in the concluding race of the 2014 IndyCar season involving Mikhail Aleshin and the low groove.

Aleshin was listed in serious but stable condition with a with a concussion, fractured ribs, a broken right clavicle and chest injuries. Qualifying had been frozen at the time of the wreck and Aleshin, actually, had the 8th fastest time on the grid for the season finale.

Sadly, Fontana has had a lot of wrecks in the track's IndyCar history including racers like Will Power, AJ Allmendinger, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Takuma Sato. Greg Moore passed during the 1999 race at Fontana from injuries he received in his crash.

If anyone understands the value of the face and heel relationship, it's the HQ...

So, Week 1 is always reserved for the paycheck games mostly... and a lot of folks in the midwest stared at North Dakota State visiting Iowa State as one of those games that was supposed to be chance for the Clones to get the duke. NDSU lost their head coach Craig Bohl to Division I- even as one of the powerhouse schools in I-AA they still had a lot of losses to graduation.

And this came across the airwaves in Des Moines, courtesy of Andy Fales and WHO-TV
Fales wasn't a fan of this game being played period.

A lot of good that did as NDSU pounded Iowa State by 20.

The HQ gives Fales credit for fanning the flames and waving the flag for the home team- even if he was way off...

It was just one of those days... and that's what makes the premier League what it is...
Just when you think you have everything figured out- forget it...

First, Burnley was hosting Manchester United- Easy one for the Reds, right...???
Nope... a goalless draw...

Maybe van Gaal was right. It might take a year...
((HT: Beanyman Sports))

City didn't do any better on a day where they could have had SERIOUS bragging rights. Mark Hughes returned to his old haunt coaching Stoke against the Citizens and he came away with the 1-0 win. Once again... shocking...
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The best squad money can buy is pitting up some serious numbers already. So much for Diego Costa being out for as many as six weeks with that hamstring he hurt in training. The Blues put up 6 against Tim Howard and Everton. Costa put in two on his own...
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Elsewhere, a really mad Harry Redknapp lost Loic Remy in a sale before the transfer deadline. But QPR got the 1-0 win today over Sunderland.
Neil Warnock and Crystal Palace went toe-to-toe with Newcastle- both teams left with a point after a 3-3 draw.
Nathan Dyer put two on West Brom and the Swans added another just because in a Swansea City 3-0 win.
Southampton found some offense somewhere and won 3-1 over West Ham...

Old school coaches would love how Colorado State defeated Colorado Friday night in Denver 31-17.

Run, Run and Run some more.

Not necessarily three yards and a cloud of dust but effective.

Colorado State running back Dee Hart (139 yards rushing) and Treyous Jarrells (121 rushing yards) gave the Rams two 100 yard rushers in a game for the first time since 2002.

"I felt really good about our running back situation, and they didn't disappoint." Colorado State head coach Jim McElwain said.

"It will be fun to have those guys back there." Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson said. "It is a huge security blanket for me to know that we can run the ball like that."

"It's a huge win." McElwain said. "I can't tell you how happy I am for the people of Colorado State University. Those kids in that locker room, that prepared to go win a football game like a good team should. There wasn't any talking or any of that stuff. They just went out and played good football. The way Colorado State Rams should."Raise the Rocky Mountain Showdown trophy coach. The Rams deserve it.

Without their starting QB, it took a failed 2-point conversion in the bottom of the second overtime for Syracuse to barely beat Villanova (otherwise known as FCS/Division I-AA Villanova)), 27-26.

Syracuse starting QB Terrel Hunt got ejected after throwing a punch on Villanova LB Dillon Lucas.
Hunt also received a 15-yard Unnecessary Roughness penalty on the play and it served as a motivator for the decidedly underdog Wildcats.

While it wasn't the six OT thriller in the Big East tourney, it certainly was a renewal of the rivalry- if only for a night.

A long lightning delay and torrential rains kept fans out of the stadium, the doors locked, and kickoff pushed back an hour and fifty minutes. Temple took care of business 37-7 and there was even a fat guy TD in the game that ended close to 2AM eastern time.

But the game didn't even start well for the Dores. They had their catch phrase, "Anchor Down," on their backs instead of nicknames- which made for a very cool effect. The refs weren't sold, but they should have left the idea alone.

When was the last time you saw an e-mail shown to an official to wipe out a penalty...???

That was, definintely, a first...

1:30 PM Update:

This from Chuck Dunlap, SEC Director of Communications

"A miscommunication resulted in Vanderbilt wearing jerseys during its football game Thursday night that are not permissible under the NCAA football uniform regulations. Before production of the jerseys, Vanderbilt sought approval of the jersey design from the NCAA, which included the words “Anchor Down” on the back panel. The NCAA responded with written approval of the design as presented and Vanderbilt proceeded with the jersey production, assuming the approval was applicable to the slogan as well as the colors and overall design in the submitted layout."

"NCAA football regulations do not permit the use of slogans on jerseys. Vanderbilt was originally penalized for the jerseys during the game and after being shown the written correspondence, the head referee also interpreted the correspondence to mean the slogan had been approved. Vanderbilt has been notified it cannot wear the slogan on its jersey for future games and has agreed to comply."

The difference was Rutgers has a running game. Paul James rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns. James' third late in the fourth quarter was the game winner for the Scarlet Knights.

"To come back out here on the West Coast and win the way we did, it shows how
hard we worked in the offseason camp." Nova said. "I know the guys are excited but we have to get back to work."

“It’s a great feeling to get this win." James said. "Last year, we came over to the west coast and it didn’t end too well. This year it’s just a great feeling to come back here and get that win.”

"For too long around this university expectations have been too low." Washington State head coach Mike Leach. "I think we as coaches and as players have to change that. It’s not going to change from the outside. We’ve got to change that and we’ve got to expect more out of ourselves – starting with the coaches.”

"It was a great call," Thomas said. "It may have been the call of the night. You've got to give it up to the offensive line. The passing game wasn't working too well, so we really had to lean on the run game, and they opened up a great hole and made it easy for me."

Wake Forest had seen Pete Thomas before, Last year Thomas was the starting quarterback for NC State and completed 27 of 43 passes for for 257 yards but the Deacs prevailed 28-13.

Thomas got a little revenge Thursday night.

"He was walking into a place where a pretty prolific quarterback just left the program." ULM head coach Todd Berry said. "I told him going in let’s take care of the football, and every thrown doesn’t have to be a completion or a bullet. Let’s make some good decision. I thought he handle those things pretty well.

As for Wake Forest the beginning of the Dave Clawson era looks a lot like the end of the Jim Grobe era, poor offensive production.

The Demon Deacons could only total 94 yards of total offense, -3 yards rushing for the game.

True freshman quarterback John Wolford was running for his life the entire game and was sacked seven times by the Warhawk defense. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 97 yards.

"We didn’t play very smart but obviously we got nothing going offensively." Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said. "We didn’t block, get open and had no explosive plays on offense other than the one third down.”

New Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill not only had Aggie fans forgetting about Johnny Manziel, Hill wipe out Johnny Football from the Aggie record books too.

Hill broke Manziel's school single game passing record throwing for 511 yards as Texas A&M routed South Carolina 52-28 breaking the Gamecocks 18 game home win streak.

Do we start the Kenny Hill Heisman Trophy campaign now? Please no Kenny Football references.

It was obvious the Texas A&M played with a chip on their shoulder trying to prove that their will be no drop off after Manziel moved on to the NFL.

“You know, basically, nobody gave us a chance to even be close in this game,”Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “All I heard last week was [we’re] two-touchdown [underdogs] and if we could keep it close it would be great.”

“I think what we did tonight showed that really, we’re not a one-trick pony,”Sumlin said. “You know, we are not anywhere near where we want to be – [but] we’re not going anywhere, anytime soon.”

Not that Southern Cal football needed any more fuel in the papers this week, but running back Anthony Brown has quit the program characterizing head coach Steve Sarkisian as "racist."

Brown Tweeted the opinion on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter before removing it:

"Sark treated me like a slave in his Office...Can't play for a racist MAN!!!!! #Fighton"

FOSG Chris Cotter explains with Brian Griese and Mark May what this all may or may not mean

Sark was less than pleased and gave very little credence to it in his press conference Thursday:

"As far as what [Brown] said on Twitter, I think it's ridiculous," Sarkisian told the Orange County Register. "Any of you guys that know me and if you ask anybody in our building, any of our players -- feel free to -- that's about the furthest thing from the truth. Quite honestly, I'm shocked."

"I had encouraged him to play. I thought he could play. I didn't want him to quit."

Not the kind of pee-ahr you need before your season opener... and a host of (now) former teammates disagreed with Brown's characterization of the nead coach.

Well, they may be a bit slow, but it appears the NFL was listening to the public confusion over the way the handled the Ray Rice domestic violence incident.

In a surprise announcement Thursday afternoon, the league said from this day forward, the penalty for any player, coach, owner or member of an NFL Organization convicted of domestic violence charges would be 6 games for the 1st offense, a lifetime ban for a second.

(It should be noted, per ESPN's Jane McManus-- there is a clause allowing a player to be reinstated, though that verbiage has yet to made specific)

The move comes after the league took a tremendous P.R hit for the way they handled the charges against Baltimore Ravens Running Back Ray Rice.

Rice was caught on video dragging his unconscious fiancee' (now wife) out of an elevator after knocking her out with a punch.

Rice received a 2-game suspension.

It appears the contrite Jolly Roger (NFL Prez Goodell) apologized for the way it was handled telling the leagues owners "I didn't get it right"

From Domestic Violence advocacy groups to U.S Senators and the public at large, the NFL found itself on the wrong side of the fence here. Particularly after doling out lengthier suspensions for performance enhancing drugs and other various minor offenses.

You can read Goodell's letter to league owners on ESPN reporter Adam Schefter's Facebook page.

Jack McDowell's Ogden Raptors were in Grand Junction to play the Rockies and the game was all Raptors- even through the rain drops.

But, in McDowell's mind, the field was getting unplayable and he was ready to take his team off to wait out any kind of rain delay. Problem was, at some point, if McDowell didn't put his team back on the field, they were going to forfeit.

No one broke that news to McDowell and it ended up being a forfeit and a 9-0 win for Grand Junction.
McDowell is less than pleased about that and is planning on contacting the league office about the result awarded by the umps.

"We are extremely disappointed in Josh," said USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian in a statement. "He let us all down. As I have said, nothing in his background led us to doubt him when he told us of his injuries, nor did anything after our initial vetting of his story.

"I appreciate that Josh has now admitted that he lied and has apologized. Although this type of behavior is out of character for Josh, it is unacceptable. Honesty and integrity must be at the center of our program. I believe Josh will learn from this. I hope that he will not be defined by this incident, and that the Trojan Family will accept his apology and support him."

It will be interesting to find out just how long "suspended indefinitely" means in the USC football-sense...

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The University of Southern California is now investigating the story that senior co-captain Josh Shaw stuck by on Sunday and Monday claiming that he got his high ankle sprains from springing out a window to rescue his nephew from a possible drowning.

The school started getting phone calls that conflicted with the story Shaw has been relaying to the media.

Instead of what Shaw initially said being the only version, police are telling an additional story about someone that could be Shaw and a sticky situation with a girlfriend:

Meantime, the Los Angeles Police Department said Shaw's name came up in a report filed by officers who responded to a call about a woman heard screaming at the Orsini Apartments at 505 N. Figueroa St. on Saturday night.

Lt. Andrew Neiman, a department spokesman, said officers forced entry into one apartment but found no one inside. They then interviewed witnesses at the apartments who reported seeing a man scampering across third-floor balconies and provided a general description of the individual. Later, as officers were talking to a woman, “She responded to a description with words to the effect, 'That sounds like my boyfriend, Josh Shaw,' ” Neiman said.

Another police source said the woman added that Shaw was out to dinner with friends.

A new team close to the newly renamed Arizona squad and California’s big three is all but assured, the only question being when and with which other city. Or should that be plural?

With all the activity going on in the Seattle area in the last little bit it would be quite a stretch to imagine that much time and effort being spent by so many wealthy men being frittered away for nothing.

Adding two teams in the west to get to an even 32 makes sense- especially if the ECHL reorganization would lead to a 31-team league and the AHL would finally have it's true western division in the 2015-16 season. Also, moving the Florida Panthers to Quebec City to placate the Canadian fan base from all the American movement would also be a solid part of the equation with a teram hemorrhaging money and not getting their way when it comes to the new arena the owners are looking for at present.

The ECHL Wranglers have their niche, and there is a history of NHL games in Las Vegas dating back to 1991.
((HT: NHL Network))

There's simply too much money in place in Quebec with Quebecor Media and the pieces are there for all of this...

Yahoo!Sports Pat Forde and Eric Adelson have a story up centering an investigation of UNC's football team. A walk-on freshman, Jackson Boyer, was apparently involved in something that left him with a reported concussion. The incident happened allegedly during camp at a Chapel Hill hotel.

The school gave a statement through Kevin Best, North Carolina's assistant athletic director for communications- and that's it: “We are aware of an incident involving members of the UNC football team that took place earlier this month. We take this allegation seriously and the University is conducting a thorough review.”

The Tar Heels, were 7-6 last season, and start their 2014 campaign Saturday at home against Liberty.

Here's highlights of the Spring Game as the Tar Heels look forward to this season...

Monday, August 25, 2014

The Stanford Cardinal come in to the 2014 season facing the daunting task of Pac-12 and Rose Bowl three-peat. It may be even harder this year, with many stalwarts on the defensive side of the ball from 2013 graduating. It will have to get past third-ranked Oregon in the Pac-12 North once again, although the Cardinal have prevailed in the last two contests. Kevin Hogan’s Stanford team has been kryptonite for Oregon and their high-octane offense. Will David Shaw and the Cardinal be able to overcome their daunting road schedule and reach the promised land, the sparkling new College Football Playoff?

DEFENSE

It all starts with the defense for this Stanford program that plays a brand of hard-nose football envied around the nation. Last season, this team allowed a measly 19.0 points per game, good for tenth best in the country and first in the Pac-12. Will they be able to continue their dominance in 2014?

FRONT SEVEN

The dominant front seven that Stanford employed last season completely shut down the running game, holding opponents to a miniscule 2.9 yards per carry. It should be a force again in 2014.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Stanford will lose defensive ends Josh Mauro and Ben Gardner, stalwarts on the edge. Gardner, one of the Cardinal’s senior leaders, totaled 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks despite playing in only eight games, due to a torn pectoral muscle that ended his final college season early. He fell to the seventh round because of the injury, despite exceptional tools. (39.5″ vertical) He will be a tough part to replace.

Aziz Shittu, a junior and former five-star recruit, will work in tandem with fifth-year senior Blake Lueders to fill in for Gardner. Shittu has fallen short of his lofty expectations so far, totaling only five tackles in all of 2013. He has been behind many great players, so the playing time has not been consistently there. He should have blossomed in this newfound opportunity, but failed to pass the scrappy Lueders on the depth chart. Lueders was the superior player last year, collecting 23 tackles, five for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Lueders was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, so he is not exactly a walk-on. He has the experience knowledge of the system under his belt that Shittu lacks, and will likely take most of the snaps at defensive end.

Henry Anderson will start at the other end position. Anderson, an emotional leader for the team and a fifth-year senior, missed the beginning of last year after suffering a knee injury versus Army. He returned in full force, making nineteen tackles in eight games, along with three sacks. He is an Athlon Sports Pre-Season First-Team Pac-12 Honoree, and is on the watch list for numerous awards.

David Parry, another fifth-year senior, will hold down the nose tackle position, a role he has thrived in since being installed as the starter in 2012. The line will not miss a beat in 2014, with boatloads of veteran leadership, as all three are fifth-year seniors. As daunting a task it may seem, the combination of Shittu and Lueders will prove to be competent to replace Gardner, a prominent figure in Stanford’s resurgence as a program.

LINEBACKERS

The Farm will certainly miss the presence of the menacing Shayne Skov, who graduated after his fifth-year senior season. His fire and ruthless play was invaluable for the success of this program, going to four BCS bowls under his leadership. Skov was sixth in Stanford history with 354 tackles in his career, despite only playing three games in 2011 after suffering a torn ACL. His instinct was unparalleled at the college level. One of the most memorable plays was his play to jump the snap against Taylor Kelly and ASU in the Pac-12 championship game.

SKOV’S RELENTLESS STYLE OF PLAY LEAD STANFORD TO DEFEAT OREGON 26-23

Although no one can replicate Skov’s leadership and passion, Blake Martinez will be considered successful if he can mean half of what Skov meant. This is by no means a cheap shot at Martinez, but a testament to the ability of Skov. Martinez has received very little playing time because of Skov’s presence. He has, however, taken advantage of his limited opportunities. He thrived in the Big Game versus Cal, forcing a fumble, picking off Jared Goff and totaling six tackles in a blowout. He has shown Coach Shaw that, when given a chance, will give it his all to help the team win. He also showed up on a big stage in the Pac-12 Championship game, making five tackles in Stanford’s beat down of the Sun Devils. He is an underrated piece in the offense that will surprise many by playing an integral role in the defense in 2014, despite being an unheralded recruit.

A.J. Tarpley, another fifth-year senior, will try to emulate Skov’s role, being the veteran leader at inside linebacker. He clearly feels comfortable filling in for Skov, as he put it, “Look at Coach Shaw. When everyone said, ‘Coach Harbaugh’s leaving, how are you going to replace his excitement, his determination for the game?’ He just said he’s David Shaw. He has his way of doing things,” Tarpley said. “To me, that’s worked out pretty well.”

He was quietly great last year, making 93 hard-fought tackles, good for second on the team. An All Pac-12 Honorable Mention in 2013, Tarpley will continue to improve and gain more recognition as an elite linebacker, as he will take over a team captain spot, and was also honored as an USA Today’s preseason second-team All American. Skov’s name brand may be gone, but Tarpley is fully capable of reproducing Shayne’s production.

At the outside linebacker position, Trent Murphy leaves huge shoes for Kevin Anderson to fill. A consensus All American, his pass rushing presence will be sorely missed. Although he lacked speed and explosion, his motor, instincts, and variety of moves certainly made up for it. He ranked second nationally with 1.07 sacks/game, and fourth in the nation with 1.7 tackles for loss/game.

Anderson, a senior, has proved he can excel under the brightest of lights. He had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown against Michigan State in the Rose Bowl, and would have had a second for a touchdown had he not dropped it. Anderson, a Palo Alto High School graduate, when asked about replacing Murphy, explained: “I want to emulate him on the field. But at the same time, I can’t think to myself, ‘I have to lead the nation in sacks like Trent did.’”

Anderson finished fourth on the team in tackles for loss, and should continue to improve and mature as a run-stopping outside linebacker. He in no way will be able play up to the pass-rushing caliber of Murphy. Murphy and Anderson are very different styles of player, as Anderson is built to stop the run.

James Vaughters was quietly brilliant in 2013, and will return even stronger in 2014. At 6’2″ and 258 pounds, he is an intimidating force for Stanford’s front seven. He was a major contributor in the landmark win versus Oregon, forcing a fumble, sacking Marcus Mariota, and adding four tackles. As a former four-star recruit, he will continue to grow, especially with gaining more experience at the outside linebacker position. He played on the inside in high school, and also played there in 2012.

SECONDARY

The secondary simply could not measure up to the vaunted front seven in 2013, mostly because teams would run an Air-Raid offense to avoid running into Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy.

The pass defense ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in total passing defense, but was tenth (behind only Cal and WSU) in opponent’s completion percentage (62.1%)

Stanford returns four out of five starters out of the secondary from 2013, the exception being Ed Reynolds. Reynolds made the curious decision to leave for the NFL Draft despite having another year of eligibility and having a down year (in terms of interceptions) in 2013. He was projected to be a sixth or seventh round pick, yet still left, and was taken in the fifth round by Philadelphia. A year being one yard short of setting the NCAA single-season record for interception return yards with 301 and a school record three returns for touchdowns, he only had one interception in 2013. He did improve upon his tackling(86 vs. 47), but still struggled to make plays in the open field.

Kyle Olugbode will replace Reynolds at free safety. He played in all fourteen games last year, totaling thirteen tackles in limited time. He may go through some growing pains early, as he has simply just not had the experience that Reynolds had.

The cornerback tandem of Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons will continue to lock down opposing receivers. Carter missed spring practice with a hip injury, but will be ready to go for the opener Saturday against UC Davis. His absence at practice created more opportunities to groom backups Ra’Chard Pippens and Ronnie Harris to play in the future. Carter was a four-star recruit, was lauded by Coach David Shaw:

“Quick, fast, explosive, aggressive, tough, great ball skills, he’s grown every single week and he’s still growing,” Shaw said. “He’s kind of what you want out there as a corner…. He’s just got more size and weight than those other guys. When he comes up and hits you, he lets you feel it.”

Lyons, also a four-star recruit, came into his own in 2013. He was fifth on the team in tackles with 69, and had two clutch fourth quarter interceptions to seal the game versus Notre Dame. He comes into 2014 being pegged as a third team preseason All-Pac 12 corner by Phil Steele.

LYONS HAD A LOT TO CELEBRATE IN 2013

Jordan Richards will return as the unquestioned leader of the secondary at strong safety. As a consensus preseason All American, it will be upon his shoulders to make up for the loss of Reynolds. He is up to the task, as he was a second team All Pac-12 player in 2013, according to Phil Steele. He is tough against the run, yet also excels in pass coverage. He will be playing on Sundays too soon for Stanford’s taste.

OVERVIEW: David Shaw’s abundant wealth of talent and exceptional scheming should be enough to make up for the loss of many senior leaders. However, road games versus #3 Oregon, #25 Washington, #7 UCLA, #18 Arizona State, and #17 Notre Dame will provide ample opportunities for slip ups. The daunting schedule, the toughest in the country, will be tough to overcome, especially given the way this team has played on the road in recent years.

Here's head coach David Shaw addressing the team's challenges for the season...
((HT: GoStanford.com/Pac-12 Network))

The Chevy Avalanche pick-up Razorback back-up QB Brandon Allen drives was burned very early Monday morning. The incident is being investigated as an arson...

The car alarm was going off outside Allen's apartment and he apparently went outside to see it burning, drifting backwards, and roling into a ditch.

Head football coach Bret Bielema, at his weekly press conference, said Allen is fine, and that the school is letting local police handle the case. Bielema also said that Allen will not be speaking publicly about the case.

Strangely, Allen's truck was not the only car fire in Fayetteville early Monday morning...

The Giants came to Washington hoping to take a series victory. They leave undeserving to play in our nation’s capital, more fit to play in Williamsport. Holding a 5-0 lead after three innings, they managed to lay an egg and fall 14-6, representing a 14-1 run for the Nationals after the third.

The Giants tagged the once overhyped Stephen Strasburg for five runs in four innings, forcing him to throw seventy-nine pitches. The five runs he allowed were the most runs he had allowed at home since his last game in 2012 before he was shut down for precautionary reasons. Gregor Blanco set the tone right off the bat, working Strasburg to a 3-2 count, and proceeding to launch a solo homer to right. The light-hitting Blanco’s shot traveled an estimated 399 feet. Travis Ishikawa added another solo shot of his own in the second, putting the score at 2-0. The Giants scored three runs in the third inning behind a Michael Morse RBI double, an Ishikawa sacrifice fly, and a Brandon Crawford RBI single, a rarity these days for the ice cold shortstop. He has posted a 50 wRC+ and a .177 average since the All-Star Break.

How could an atrocity like this happen to a team that lit up Washington’s ace? The game was setting up to be a laugher after three, with the Nationals still not mustering a hit off of Vogelsong. That certainly changed in the fourth, with three doubles off of Vogelsong that scored two runs, cutting the San Francisco lead to 5-2. A blip on the radar, but the Giants still appeared poised to win handily.

Jake Peavy was ejected in the third inning for arguing with the umpiring crew about balls and strikes, even though he wasn’t in the game. He was leaning over the dugout railing, and had been visibly jawing with the crew for the whole game, despite a 5-0 lead. Peavy was a stone’s throw from my position at the yard. Peavy’s passion for the game is appreciated, but he took it too far on Sunday.

It all came apart in the sixth. Hunter Pence added a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 6-2. That would be all the good news the Giants could conjure up the rest of the game. Jeremy Affeldt came in after Adam LaRoche struck out to start the frame and promptly served up a home run to Ian Desmond and the momentum to Washington. A combination of Affeldt and Jean Machi could not retire any of the next nine Washington hitters, giving up six runs in the process. Affeldt could not get an out, and was charged for four runs on five hits. His offspeed pitches were hanging, and he meated several fastballs, and even threw a “scud” with his heater, a wild pitch that scored a run. A 6-2 lead quickly became a 8-6 deficit.

The wheels came off in the bottom of the eight. Juan Gutierrez found way too much of the plate, making the game a 14-6 laugher. Gutierrez gave up five runs in the frame, including home runs to Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa. Bochy let the righty go thirty-seven pitches, conceding the game to Washington, as he wanted to rest the rest of his bullpen.

The bullpen’s implosion is a troubling sign for this ballclub. The unit gave up eleven runs in only four and two-thirds innings of work. In the month of August, they have posted a 4.04 ERA. (not including Sunday) Pitching and defense are supposedly the core of this team, and it certainly didn’t look like it today. Michael Morse continued his plodding defense in the outfield, making some bad runs on balls that would have been caught by Gregor Blanco. Part of the problem was Angel Pagan’s absence, who has sat out the last two games nursing a calf strain he sustained on Friday.

Duane and Mike discuss the loss
((HT: CSN Bay Area))
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Notes:

Jake Peavy (2-3, 3.58) will look for his third straight victory Monday night against the Rockies, the first game of a seven-game homestand for the club. Peavy will toe the rubber against the young lefty Tyler Matzek. (2-9, 5.38) A pigeon stayed on the field for the latter part of the game, on the outfield grass just behind the shortstop. It made it on the big-screen, causing many Washington fans to dub it the “rally pigeon.”

Gerry Cantlon says that the formulation of a Pacific Division in the AHL could go down by the 2015-16 season...

When the CHL's Denver Cuthroats and Arizona Sundogs pulled out of their upcoming season, it set off a new set of alarm bells. Two sources to Cantlon have those two teams bought by the Avalanche and (another team). They go immediately into the American.

Here's the rest of the West as of now from Cantlon:

The original five would be LA (from Manchester to Ontario, CA), San Jose (Worcester to Fresno, CA), Winnipeg (St. John’s to Thunder Bay), Phoenix and Anaheim.

Anaheim who will go to San Diego and play out of the Valley View Casino Center (12.920) is said to be the last team that needs to buy an AHL franchise and then apply to relocate as per AHL standard franchise rules.

Expect the merger talks of what's left of the CHL and the ECHL to pick up speed now- Allen, Brampton, Quad City, Rapid City, St. Charles, Tulsa, and Wichita could feasibly slide- if they all are alive. But, the Central would have to live on its own for the 14-15 season since the ECHL schedule is already locked in place.

Here's what Allen did to get into the CHL history books at the end of last season...
((HT: CHL/Todd Carr))

As a bit of a trade, Cantlon continues, the eastern franchises in the AHL would drop to the ECHL for 15-16: Utica, Glens Falls, Worcester, Springfield, Portland and Manchester.

So, then, the ECHL in 2015-16 would go like this under the Cantlon variant... a 31-team monster of a league that would have a one-team affiliation with NHL franchises across the board with one team left over...

Whomever said kickers are interchangeable in pro football obviously didn't have Matt Prater on his team.

Prater, the leagues most accurate kicker, who can and has knocked them down from over 60-yards away will sit out the first 4 games of the Denver Broncos season.

The reason: He violated the NFL Substance Abuse policy.

According to the Denver Post, Prater had been in the leagues Substance Abuse Program since his DUI arrest in 2011. And while specifics of the violation haven't been disclosed, in a story first reported by the Post, Prater's agent implied his client had a couple of beers while at home.

Officially, the announcement of Prater's suspension isn't supposed to happen until Monday, but the Post reported it on Sunday.

Denver was the leagues highest scoring team last season and Prater himself accounted for 150 points. The only other kicker brought into camp this preseason is rookie Mitch Ewald from Indiana.

Since there are always journeyman kickers available to come in and play for a few games, the guess here is the Broncos will bring a couple in, see how they do and have a plan B ready in case Ewald isn't up to the task.

This video explains why the Broncos will miss Prater--a 64-yard field goal....

Saturday night at Bristol showed yet again why race car drivers need to learn somehow to control their tempers.

Racing under the lights with the lead, Denny Hamlin slowed slightly coming off a corner. Kevin Harvick, just behind Hamlin tries to get behind him, but misjudges Hamlin's move, hits the back of Hamlin's car and sends him spinning.

Hamlin's car tags Dale Earnhardt Jr, taking out his door and side panels and for a brief moment, chaos ensues.

Hamlin eventually gets out of the car and in a fit of anger, grabs the Hans device (neck restraint) and throws it at Harvick's car when it passes by again under caution.

It didn't do any damage, but the point being, why throw something at him? And then the post wreck interview?

Yeah, we get it, racing is intense and nobody wants to back down. But when you are driving that fast in a tight pack of cars, accidents happen. They always will.

For what it's worth, Joey Logano would go on to take the checkered flag and get the win.

Video of the crash, Hamlin's interview and shot of him throwing stuff at Harvick are all on this clip from NASCAR.com:

Rays manager Joe Maddon is protesting the Rays-Jays result from earlier today because of how the replay function of Major League Baseball was handled during the game.

Here's how all hell broke loose with the new baseball wrinkle...
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Maddon says he would be surprised if the protest isn't upheld because of how the whole thing was run.

The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest after it was determined the tarp at Wrigley Field had not been properly put away after its previous use. The Giants beat the Cubs 2-1 two days after initially being given a 2-0 loss.

Wow. The Giants looked GOOD today. The offense was probably the best we've seen since the All Star Break. The top and middle of the lineup clicked for a few huge innings like the fourth and ninth of three and four runs respectively.

Buster Posey continued his hot streak from yesterday hitting his second home run in two days, his fifteenth of the season in the sixth inning. Posey also had an RBI double hard off the right field wall, bringing his numbers to 2-5 with two runs and two RBIs on the day. However, even this great performance overmatched by rookie second baseman Joe Panik. He went 4 for 5 today with some amazing at bats where he looked to be in complete control through his at bats. He hit his first home run of his career, a three run blast to center in the fourth to round out his great day. He finished with two runs scored and three RBIs. Backup first baseman Travis Ishikawa, who is currently filling in for the injured Brandon Belt, continued his hot streak today as well. He only had one hit in five at bats today, but that one hit was a two run double in the eighth that provided the Giants some insurance runs.

The Nationals had a ten game winning streak going on before this week, but the Giants who have been pretty hot too as of late broke that today. The Nats opened up the scoring on a Panik error in the first, one that he more than made up for with his hitting. However, the Giants came back with Panik's homer in the fourth which was followed by the Nats scoring another run in the bottom of the inning, bringing the score to 3-2. The Giants then scored seven runs straight in the sixth, eighth, and ninth, giving them the huge lead of 10-2. They allowed one run in the bottom of the inning, but held them to that one to put the final score at 10-3 Giants.

In addition to the stellar offense today, there was some great pitching too. Starter Tim Hudson had a short but strong outing of 5.1 innings giving up two runs, but only one earned, and he earned his ninth win of the season and his first since July 16. Javier Lopez, Jean Machi, and Sergio Romo together pitched a scoreless fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, recording four strikeouts over the innings while only giving up one hit collectively. Juan Gutierrez had a little trouble in the ninth, giving up a run, but he managed to limit the damage and close out the game safely.

Here's postgame where Duane and Mike caught up with Panik about his August
((HT: CSN Bay Area))
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The Giants stay 3.5 games behind the Dodgers with this win, but they seem to be heating up, as they have won two series in a row, three games in a row, and have won six out of their last eight games. Hopefully they can take this great game and continue playing at this caliber to take this series and make a great run at the division title and the postseason. Let's hope for some good times ahead, halfway through the dog days of August, and a run deep into October for the Giants.

NOTES:
–Centerfielder Angel Pagan left the game with an upper calf injury and is currently day-to-day.

On Friday, Phil Mickelson was out of control with his driver on the 5th at The Barclays- hitting his drive into the hospitality tents. It gave him a bout of creativity where he his his second from the carpets and, eventually, bogeyed the hole.

The furor over the use of Washington's NFL Team nickname continues. And this time, while many will so...oh, okay, it's just the newspaper, nobody reads that anyway...it's not the point.

((Note--The Post's editorial board will not use the name, the Sports Department is free to do as they choose))

One of the most widely respected names in Journalism today has decided that the nickname should not be used for the simple fact that to a group of people, it's an insult.

The Washington Post and their editorial writers have decided they will not use said nickname when talking about the team.

This adds to the furor that's seen everyone from U.S Politicians, government agencies, former NFL officials and others weigh in on the subject.

Said the Post--"We don't believe that fans who are attached to the name have racist feeling or intent anymore than Mr. Snyder (Dan--the owner) does. But the fact remains: The word is insulting. You would not dream of calling anyone a (insert Washington NFL Team Name) to his or her face. You wouldn't let your son or daughter use it about a person, even in the privacy of your own home."
Read the Post's Editorial RIGHT HERE

What does it say that this action is taking place? That so many people, though not many team fans, are crying for a change?

We at OSG Sports (well, okay, me---Brother J-Dub is a fan of the team and probably won't adhere to this) wish to offer what little added heft we have to the debate.

We too will not use the name, rather we'll refer to them as Washington's NFL team or something similar.

Hopefully at some point Dan Snyder will open his eyes and realizing the marketing opportunity in front of him. That changing the name means multiple generations of fans will have the opportunity to spend money and buy team gear. That alone we'd think should be enough to prompt the change.

But Snyder, if nothing else does what he wants to do...and unfortunately it appears the "Name Change" will follow that same path....

Because we wish to present opposing arguments, here is former NFL coach and current ESPN commentator Mike Ditka stating it's "*&!#---"

The theme of this series really has to be the rain. The Giants took two out of the three games in this surprisingly rainy series, and many think they should have swept.

The first game of the impromptu doubleheader ended with the same verdict as the five-inning version: a Giants' loss. The game was resumed from the bottom of the fifth and the Giants drew blood in the sixth. They had to dig there way out from a 2-0 deficit, and they began this process in the sixth when Joe Panik pinch-hit for Joaquin Arias and hit an RBI single to drive in rookie first baseman Adam Duvall. Afterward, both teams were held scoreless for the rest of the game. However, the Giants came very close to scoring in the ninth. Duvall led off the inning with a groundout followed by Panik and Crawford hitting back to back singles to put the tying run in scoring position with one out. After Blanco struck out looking, Pagan drove a ball hard up the middle, but unfortunately it deflected off of the pitcher Hector Rondon, and he was then able to pick up the ball and underhand it to first. Everybody thought Pagan had a hit, but unfortunately the Giants were not that lucky. After the game manager Bruce Bochy said, "We all thought when Pagan hit the ball it was going through."

On the other side of the ball, the pitching was superb for the Giants. Yusmeiro Petit "started" the game for the Giants today and pitched two perfect innings with five strikeouts. Jean Machi and Jeremy Affeldt then followed with hitless innings to close out the game.

With this game, the Giants were trying to become the first team to win a protested contest since the Pirates beat the Dodgers in 1948. Unfortunately they could not, and Anthony Rizzo's two run homer in the first inning on Tuesday was enough for the Cubs to squeak through. The Giants did look sharper in the second half of the game as they had more hits and were the only team to score. The pitching was also excellent throughout the game for both teams, especially the Giants who pitched today. Fortunately, the Giants' luck improved in the next game, allowing them to take the series.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Giants came back and won 5-3. The Giants scored one in the first on a Posey RBI, but the bottom of the first haunted them with Bumgarner giving up three runs on two home runs. Fortunately these were the only runs Bumgarner gave up as he settled down for the rest of the game. He pitched 7 strong innings, scoreless after the first, and he recorded a whopping 12 strikeouts. The bullpen then closed the game out with two scoreless innings using Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla, who picked up the save, his eleventh of the season. Bumgarner also got his 14th win today.

In this game, the Giants spaced out there runs scoring one in each of these innings: the first, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh. Posey went 4-4 with a home run and two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored, providing a huge offensive boost to the Giants after his day off yesterday. Sandoval also went 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Morse had an RBI as well, and Bumgarner knocked in Arias in the fourth on a line drive single to left field.

Here's the look at Posey's night:
((HT: MLB.com))
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Overall, this second game was great for the Giants with solid offense, although it did come very slowly over multiple innings. They also had the stellar pitching we have come to expect, with Bumgarner settling down after a poor first inning. The Giants take this series and stay 3.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Hopefully they can continue the winning against the Nationals tomorrow at 4:05 PT, the beginning of a three game road series.

NOTES:
–Fittingly, there was another rain delay during the first game today that halted it for one hour, 57 minutes, bringing the total delay—including Tuesday's game-ending stoppage—to a whopping six hours and 32 minutes, or 48 hours depending on how you look at it. It also drizzled again in the second game, although it did not need to be stopped.

This time, center Eric Wood and rookie defensive end Bryan Johnson exchanged punches at the end of a play during goal line drills.
Here's Crystal Marie with a look

Head coach Doug Marrone said he has no place for fighting in camp and on his team. He ripped into the team after the Wood-Johnson fight and had them run sprints as a reminder how much Marrone didn't like what was going on.